1. Ohio State - I’m a believer, a hesitant believer but I believe in this Ohio State team. A young offense is counterbalanced by a tough, consistent, solid veteran defense. While it could certainly be argued that coach Jim Tressel could do no wrong in the state of Ohio, he does have to redeem himself and the program after last year’s national championship no-show.

2. Oregon - Beat USC, Arizona State and Michigan and you get to be number 2. The Ducks appear to be all contender as they continue to dominate every opponent standing in their way. It doesn’t hurt that they have the Heisman trophy frontrunner under center and that Johnathan Stewart is having the breakout year that most expected.

3. LSU - Perhaps the luckiest team in college football, the Bayou Bengals survived a trip to Tuscaloosa thanks to John Parker Wilson’s butterfingers, still have a shot at the national championship. Obviously, the road gets a little easier from here for Les Miles’ Squad with Ole Miss and Arkansas remaining and then the SEC Championship game in Atlanta the week after. I don’t think the Tigers, who have now won at least two games they probably should have lost, deserve the nod over Oregon.

4. Kansas - I still think the Jayhawks are pretenders. A laughably weak non-conference schedule, a conference schedule that doesn’t include Oklahoma are all the evidence you need to explain Kansas’ poll position. I see them possibly losing to Oklahoma State this weekend in Stillwater, definitely losing to Missouri in Kansas City the last week of the season and, if they make it there, getting obliterated by Okahoma in the Big 12 Championship. Play somebody and then come talk to me.

5. Oklahoma - You never know what Oklahoma team is going to show up week to week and that’s why I can’t put them above a Kansas team that I think they will inevitably beat. Oklahoma will end up winning the Big 12 but not without some challenges. They have a trip to Lubbock next weekend to face Graham Harrell and that explosive Texas Tech offense before finishing the game with Bedlam game against Oklahoma State in Norman.

It was the Colts’ offense, not their defense, that was the team’s weak point yesterday.

Having lived in Indiana for some length of time, I know that criticizing Peyton Manning is somewhat blasphemous but someone has to. Make no mistake, it was Manning and the Colts offense’s inability to convert points in the red zone in the first quarter of the mega-game against New England that led to their ultimate demise. Word to the wise for future Patriot opponents: If you get within scoring distance three times in the first quarter, put the ball in the end zone.

And then there’s Manning inability to perform under pressure — again. The fumble-turned-interception that put the nail in the Colts’ coffin was evidence of my belief that the eldest Manning quarterback is one of the league’s worst performers under pressure and almost always shrinks when it counts and when the game is on the line. The last quarterback in the world I want to see trotting onto the field with two minutes to go and my team down four is Peyton Manning because in his career, which has been great, he has never delivered in those moments. For the record, you may be wondering who the first quarterback I would want to see in the huddle on that final drive? That would be the quarterback who stood on the opposite sideline Sunday, Tom Brady. Manning has never had a marquee, Elway-Montana or even Brady-like moment that you point to and go, “Wow, that was really clutch.” He’s a fairweather quarterback and simply, a fairweather leader. Remember when Mike Vanderjagt, who is an absolute dope, criticized Manning and Dungy for lacking fire? I didn’t think then and still don’t think that was an invalid criticism, in spite of the ridiculous source of said criticism. Did you see Manning bouncing his helmet-clad skull into those of his lineman yesterday in the huddle? I rest my case.

All of that being said, I will be happy to never heard the phrase “Super Bowl 41 1/2″ uttered again ever and the importance of the outcome of this game is wildly overstated by the media and fans but I think the players and coaches have put the final score in its proper perspective. Tom Brady said the game “didn’t matter,” appropriately noting that it was in January when the winners and losers of a game is of any significant import. If the Colts won the game and got homefield advantage, it wouldn’t exclude them from potentially losing to the Patriots in the playoffs and vice versa for the Pats. It was an entertaining game that showed us, if nothing else, that the Patriots offense is as diverse as advertised and the Colts defense has come an incredibly long way in a year and may, in the future, be one of the league’s best.

The league’s best two running backs are Joseph Addai and Adrian Peterson

And I’m not just basing that on yesterday’s performance, where Adrian Peterson ran for a jaw-dropping 296 yards on his way to slicing, dicing and downright humiliating the Chargers defense, I’m basing that on facts. Peterson is a shoe-in to win Offensive Rookie of the Year and had it not been for Tom Brady’s soon-to-be-record-breaking-season, he would be a realistic candidate for MVP. Never have I seen a player’s college game translate so literally into an NFL career but Peterson is running and playing exactly the way he did at Oklahoma. Of course, Peterson has a penchant for big debuts, if you’ll remember his rookie year at Oklahoma where he was a Heisman finalist. If he can stay healthy, Peterson may be one for the ages.

And then there’s Addai, who is one of the most consistent and steady running backs in the league. I’m not sure there is a player who sees the field better and makes sharper cuts than the second year man out of LSU. He catches balls out of the back field and he’s a threat to break it everytime he gets his hands on the ball. While his greatness may be lost in an offense that includes Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne, Marvin Harrison and Dallas Clark, don’t get it twisted, getting Addai 20-30 touches a game is integral to this offense being effective.

Ohio State is really good.. no, seriously…

I’ve been down this road before with Jim Tressel’s Buckeyes and I’m hesitant to believe in this team after last year’s stomping at Florida, a stomping that I boldly predicted in our paper wouldn’t happen. In the words of the epic 80s hair metal band Great White I’m “once bitten, twice shy.” But this team is apparently for real after routing a pretty good Wisconsin team this weekend. I’m not convinced that this effective but underwhelming team has the metal to take it into the Big House and pull out a win against archrival Michigan but they’re really good. Quarterback Todd Boeckman is the second-coming of Craig Krenzel and Brian Robiskie and Brian Hartline are becoming two viable big-time scoring threats and Beanie Wells is one of the most punishing and quick running backs in the country. After seeing them pound Wisconsin in convincing fashion, I think I’m ready to believe.

Oregon is the second best team in America

One of the nation’s three remaining unbeaten teams solidified their place in the National Championship this weekend — for now. After beating USC soundly last weekend, the Ducks got ready and beat a previously unbeaten —and head-scratching fourth-ranked — Arizona State team. Dennis Dixon is the Heisman trophy frontrunner, Jonathan Stewart is one heck of a running back and their defense isn’t too bad either. Sorry LSU but you can’t be ranked higher than an unbeaten team who plays in a conference that is equally as tough as your own. I would love to see an Oregon/Ohio State national championship game. James Laurinaitis, Marcus Freeman and Malcolm Jenkins against Dennis Dixon, Jonathan Stewart and the explosive Oregon offense. That’s a game I would love to watch.

Darren McFadden isn’t out of the Heisman race just yet

Just when pre-season Heisman shoe-in Darren McFadden had become a distant memory, the Razorback junior goes out and rushes for 323 yards. For my money, I still think Knowshon Moreno is the best running back in the SEC but McFadden is almost a lock to be taken in the top 5 in next year’s NFL draft and for good reason — he’s simply filthy.

The Hoosiers are bowl eligibile

Finally. Six wins. It’s tough not to get emotional when I think about my alma mater finally going to a bowl game after all these years but it seems a fitting accomplishment for this team, this year. Make no mistake, this is a tribute to Coach Hep, who lost his battle with brain cancer this summer and made a fanbase and a team of underachievers believe that we could go where we hadn’t gone in more than a decade. While their win Saturday doesn’t guarantee a trip to Tampa or Orlando or San Antonio or Tempe, it gets the Hoosiers one step closer to Hep’s dream of playing 13.

Here a couple of things I think we learned from a pretty eventful weekend in college football.

Jeff Tedford is the most overrated coach in college football

Two losses in two weeks to two bad teams. Say what you want about UCLA’s undefeated mark in the Pac-10, UCLA is a horrifically inconsistent football team. And lest we forget, one of the Bruin’s two losses this season came at the hands of Notre Dame AT HOME. The same Notre Dame team that got shut out by 38 in South Bend this week by USC. Cal has become the Iowa of the Pac 10. Every year, there is a lot of hype surrounding the program and every year they come out and tank. When watching Cal, I am left with this thought: Can you imagine how electric DeSean Jackson would be if he actually had a decent quarterback throwing to him?

Tim Tebow will either revolutionize the NFL or join the long line of Gator quarterbacks that fizzled at the pro level.

Tim Tebow is every bit as good as advertised. But quick, name one NFL team that runs anything that closely resembles a spread offense? Can’t do it? That’s because there aren’t any. When I was watching Tebow slice and dice the Kentucky defense en route to 256 yards through the air and another 78 on the ground, I couldn’t help but wonder what his NFL future would be? Let’s make one this unmistakably clear: The numbers are deceiving, Tim Tebow is an exponentially more effective runner than he is a passer. Will his athleticism be enough to woo NFL execs into looking past the ugly-looking balls he throws and his awkward throwing motion? I’m not sure but he is, hands-down, the most unique mix of a running quarterback that the NFL has maybe ever seen. He is going to have to learn to be more of a pocket passer at the next level because, even with his frame, the punishment of an NFL season, taking the hits he’s taken this season could make for a short professional career.

We still have a shot at the LSU/USC Championship Game

For those of us who have been itching for an USC/LSU battle for the BCS Championship since Les Miles opened his mouth this summer, hope is very much alive. Don’t worry about Ohio State, they’ll lose this weekend at Penn State or at The Big House the last week of the season. Boston College, as much as I love that team, may not survive a trip down to Blacksburg this weekend. And if Oklahoma plays down to their competition, like they did this week at Iowa State, you can forget about the Sooners. Still, LSU must survive a trip to Tuscaloosa next weekend and the SEC Championship game. But hope is still alive for that epic showdown between the Tigers and the Trojans.

Not an altogether surprising week of college football as far as wins and losses are concerned. Now that Michigan’s season is officially in the tank, right beside Lloyd Carr’s tenure in Ann Arbor, LSU head coach Les Miles will be getting daily questions about his interest in coaching Big Blue. It should be very interesting to see how he handles those questions and how he keeps it from coming a distraction to a team that has every chance of winning a national championship based on their performance Saturday night against Virginia Tech.

GAME OF THE WEEK: VIRGINIA TECH at LSU

I turned this game off with about 11 minutes left in the second quarter and watched the Heroes season finale and a couple episodes of The Office before catching the last bit of the Auburn/South Florida game. I think the first quarter and a half of the game can be summed up this way: total domination.

What surprises me about the game wasn’t the way Virginia tech played on offense. I knew they were horrible from the offense’s inability to score more than one touchdown against ECU at home. I think Frank Beamer may have a bigger problem on offense than one road loss in Baton Rouge. I don’t think anyone on this team, let alone on offense, has any faith in Sean Glennon’s ability to lead this team, least of all in a pressure-packed environment and I think Hokie Nation is tiring of Glennon’s floundering. The real question for the Hokies at this point is when will Beamer start true freshman Tyrod Raylor?

My hats off to Les Miles and the LSU staff. Bo Pelini called a fantastic defensive game and brought a variety of blitz packages that confused Virginia Tech’s protection schemes and gave Sean Glennon a very close and intimate relationship with the turf at Tiger Stadium. What surprised me most about the game was how porous the Hokie defense looked against the Gary Crowton offense that I criticized as being bland, unimaginative and vanilla last week against Mississippi State. Wasn’t it the VT defense that was touted as one of the nation’s best in the preseason? But it was that same defense that was giving up 7,8 and 9-yard gains up the gut to Jacob Hester. Instead of calling play around VT’s much-talked-about linebacking duo of Vince Hall and Xavier Adibi, Crowton ran right at them and the pair folded. If you’re an LSU fan, the good news is that Keiland Williams seems to have found his place in this offense and you got to see a little bit of what Matt Flynn can do that Jamarcus Russell couldn’t.

Saturday’s win in mind, I am not sure that I am ready to anoint the Bayou Bengals as the best team in college football. I still firmly believe that spot belongs to USC who will get their signature win next week when they travel to Lincoln and pound a Nebraska team that gave Wake Forest every opportunity to beat them (and had Wake had starter Riley Skinner under center, they probably would have) on the road Saturday. However, it appears that LSU and USC are on a collision course for the BCS National Championship but the season is far from over for both teams. LSU has to navigate a tricky SEC schedule and win the SEC Championship game in Atlanta and USC has to weather an underrated Pac-10 schedule that takes them to Oregon and Cal before finishing the year against rival UCLA at home. If both of those teams can run the table, we could be in for a classic match-up in New Orleans.

WATCH OUT FOR: SOUTH FLORIDA

I was so tempted to pick the Bulls going to Auburn and up-ending Tommy Tuberville and the 17-ranked Tigers at home. Alas, I didn’t and the Bulls pulled off the “upset” anyway. I knew exactly how good USF was going into this game and you better believe the coaches of the Big East’s elite programs know how good Jim Leavitt, Matt Grothe and the rest of this USF team is as well. In fact, the Bulls were the most impressive team in the laughably weak Big East this week. Louisville let Middle Tennessee, picked to finish a whopping 5th in the Sun Belt Conference, hang 42 points on the Cards at home. West Virginia let Marshall hang around for way too long in Huntington and Rutgers soundly beat a Navy team that they had no business scheduling. I am not sure that USF has the talent to win the Big East but they will end up getting a victory over one or more of the Big East’s big three by season’s end.

MOST DISAPPOINTING: MICHIGAN

Gutless. That is the way I would describe the Wolverines’ fold job at home against Oregon this weekend. Did the Ducks look overwhelmingly fast on offense? Absolutely. But where’s the heart? After seceding the greatest upset in the history of college football last week and scores of alumni, fans and writers calling for the head of your coach on a platter, I would have thought that this team, laden with seniors on the offensive side of the ball, would have banded together, taken on an “us against the world” mentality and made Oregon pay for what happened last week. None of that happened. There is a lot of negativity up in Ann Arbor right now and I would have to think that one more bad loss, particularly at home, and Lloyd Carr gets shown the door earlier than he expects.

Now that the team, picked in the top 5 at the beginning of the year, has the potential to go 7-5 or worse, does Chad Henne ride the pine for the rest of the year? He is already expected not to play Saturday against Notre Dame because of a leg injury that took him out of Saturday’s massacre. But when does the Wolverine staff admit that this season is probably a wash and start looking toward next year? Would it be a dis-service to the seniors on this football team to start rebuilding during their senior season? Absolutely but this is also a group of guys who haven’t set forth a real good example about playing with heart the past two weeks so you do what you have to do. When does true freshman Ryan Mallett become the full-time starting quarterback at Michigan? If he slices and dices the Notre Dame secondary this Saturday, don’t be surprised if Chad Henne is wearing a headset instead of a helmet for the rest of the year.

COACH OF THE WEEK: TYRONE WILLINGHAM, WASHINGTON 

Turns out, this guy can still coach. After being disgracefully fired after two pretty good years and 1 pretty bad one (kind of sounds like the resumé of another Notre Dame coach), Willingham has the Huskies moving in the right direction. Will this team compete with the Pac-10’s elite this season? No way but it says something about the status of this program when they knock off grossly over-hyped Boise State, snapping the Broncos 14-game winning streak. Willingham may have found a future star in sophomore quarterback Jake Locker, who had 193 yards passing, a touchdown and an interception to compliment his 84 rushing yards and 1 rushing score Saturday in Seattle. Kudos to Willingham for getting his team prepared for a winnable game that everyone on the outside was convinced he would lose.

If the Husky defense can pitch a couple more second half shutouts like they did Saturday against grossly over-hyped running back Ian Johnson (effectively ended his preposterous Heisman candidacy), the Huskies could find themselves in a bowl game come December. Next week will be a test for this team when they play #12 Ohio State at home and an upset of the Buckeyes, which I don’t anticipate, could put Willingham and the Huskies back on the college football, and Pac-10 radar. Unfortunately, the Huskies don’t have an awful lot of time to revel in this victory, the program’s biggest in recent memory.

As we cruise into week two of college football, we have already learned some valuable lessons that will help dictate our football viewing strategies for the rest of the season. First and foremost, that no game involving Notre Dame is worth watching, even if Jimmy Clausen is starting, as Charlie Weis announced yesterday.

Let me just go on record as saying that Rutgers and Louisville have officially gotten on my nerves. I get it, guys. You schedule your games for Thursday and Friday night to get some national airtime but I am not at all interested in seeing Louisville beat up on the mighty Blue Raiders of Middle Tennessee State University. Ditto for Rutgers thumping Navy on Friday night. It’s not good football or good television, it’s just annoying. Given how weak the Big East is, you would think one of these schools (lump in West Virginia for kicks) would schedule someone of some import to gain some credibility for those teams, the conference and the Heisman candidacies of the league’s top players. But who wants to play USC, Texas, Oklahoma or LSU when you can line up against Middle Tennessee State, Marshall and Navy? They can play those games but I’m not watching them.

GAME OF THE WEEK: Virginia Tech at LSU - 9:15 ET - ESPN

What was billed at the beginning of the year as the best non-conference matchup of the season, which it still very well may be, has turned into a game of reluctant excitement for most college football fans after less than spectacular week one performances by both teams.

For LSU, they managed to turn on the afterburners and leave Mississippi State in the dust after an average-to-poor performance in the first half in Starkville. For Virginia Tech, they couldn’t seem to close the door in Blacksburg on Saturday against ECU, beating the Pirates by just 10 points, seven of which came on an interception return for a touchdown toward the end of the first half.

The matchup is intriguing but if you’re LSU, you have to feel better about this game than the Hokies do. Given the monsters that the Tigers have up front, you have to figure Bo Pelini is going to throw a number of blitz packages at Sean Glennon, who looked like a deer in headlights at certain moments against ECU, and force him to make bad decisions, leaving Jonathan Zenon, Chevis Jackson and Craig Steltz to do what they do best: intercept the football.

On offense, new offensive coordinator Gary Crowton will have to prove that this offense has some depth, dimension and creativity after a stagnant performance against Mississippi State Thursday night. Running the ball could be difficult given who the Hokies have playing linebacker and the cornerback/receiver matchups in this one are intriguing.

O.G.I. - OTHER GAMES OF INTEREST

Oregon State at Cincinnati - Thursday - 7:30 ET - ESPN

Oregon State running back Yvenson Bernard may be the nation’s best kept secret at tailback and he will get a chance to show out Thursday night when the Beavers take on the Bearcats in Cincy. Last week, Bernard hung 165 yards and 2 TDs on a pretty good Utah team and will look to do the same on national TV Thursday night. Meanwhile, the Bearcats come into the game from a week where they scored 59 against Southeast Missouri State, including more than 300 yards on the ground. On the other side of the ball, Oregon State held the Utes to 20 yards rushing. I’d expect the Beavers to roll big in those and for Bernard to have a huge game.

Miami at#8 Oklahoma - 12:00 ET - ABC

Two or three years ago, this would have been the game of the week, nay of the season, but with Randy Shannon rebuilding Miami football, the game manages a small blip on the radar on this week. I’m expecting Oklahoma to hang a big number on The U but the game could be worth a watch if you didn’t buy third season of The Office, which came out this week.

#20 Nebraska at Wake Forest - 12:00 ET - ESPN

Hats off to teams like Oklahoma and Miami, Wake and Nebraska for scheduling early season games that are worth checking out. Wake quarterback Riley Skinner is not likely to play in this game after separating his shoulder against BC last week and that could make a difference. If you haven’t gotten a chance to see Sam Keller and Nebraska, this game presents a good opportunity to do so and it’s certainly a better game than Oklahoma/Miami.

Oregon at Michigan - 3:30 PM - ABC

This game is interesting for a couple different reasons. The most obvious being that many people, myself included, want to see how Michigan will respond after suffering the greatest upset in the history of the sport last week at home. My guess is that the Michigan faithful will yell and cheer and get rowdy and show that they are still behind their team, that is unless they lose again at home to a team they should be. It will also give people a chance to see Oregon, a team not many people are familiar with. The Oregon offense against the Michigan defense is a matchup worth watching regardless of the game’s backdrop

South Carolina at #13 Georgia - 5:45 ET - ESPN2

Certainly the most intriguing SEC matchup of the week (sorry Vandy/Alabama). The game will serve as a test to see just how much the new and interception-free Matthew Stafford has matured. I expect Georgia, based on how they played last week against Oklahoma State, to win big but it’s a regional and SEC rivalry and anything could happen. One thing that will happen in this content, win or lose, we will find out just how far Matthew Stafford has come.

#22 TCU at #4 Texas - 7:00 PM ET - Fox Sports Net

Only the second game this week between ranked teams, TCU and Texas’ matchup will be watchable… at least until LSU/VT comes on. I’m not really sure what to make of TCU but Texas is ranked that high for a reason and they’re awfully good. TCU defensive end Tommy Blake will need to get in Colt McCoy’s face early and often if the Horned Frogs are to have a chance in Austin.

UNDER THE RADAR GAME OF THE WEEK

South Florida at #18 Auburn - 8:00 ET - ESPN2

The Tigers, fresh off a solid if unconvincing win, over Kansas State play host to South Florida and the Bulls are certainly upset-minded. For most of America, it will be one of their first exposure to USF quarterback Matt Grothe, who has Big East coaches singing his praises. The multi-talented Grothe is as dangerous with his legs as he is with his arm. I’m not sure we’ll see an upset in this one but USF could give Auburn a game that is worth checking out while the VT/LSU game is at commercial.

Watched the first three episodes (again) of Heroes last night. The show is really incredible and entertaining. Is it a tad overacted? Yes. But it does have the feeling of reading a comic book in a way that isn’t the least bit heavy-handed or on-the-nose (see: the visually-stupifying but soul-sucking Sin City). The performances turned in by the cast are decent if not occasionally overreaching but the ensemble cast does something extraordinarily well — they don’t get in the way. The stories being told in the show are so enveloping and engaging that Olivier-like performances are unnecessary and thankfully missing.

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No, seriously…

Emus love Wal-Mart.

That’s news to me: VA tells woman she’s dead.

That’s assault, brotha: Schoolchildren in Colorado no longer allowed to play tag.

Woman makes it known that she’s paranoid and racist at San Fransisco airport.

British crooks try tunneling to ATM.

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Colorado QB Cody Hawkins on being “the coach’s kid.”

Hokies to honor shooting victims before Saturday’s game against ECU.

No favorites in Heisman race, says SI writer.

Gamecocks oft-arrested freshman quarterback Stephen Garcia gets redshirt.

ESPN takes over “Two-A-Days.”

Browns fans vote on Quinn’s coif, prefer it long.

Nice piece in the New York Times on Jets rookie linebacker David Harris.

A story in the Washington Post about the beasts USC has at linebacker.

Is the Big Ten overrated or did it have a bad week last year?

Hoosiers trying not to think about emotions as gameday without Hep approaches.

‘07 Gators have challenge ahead, say ‘97 Gators.

Georgia will be tested, says former Oklahoma State coach Les Miles.

Pac-10 has worst refs, coaches say.

Andy Reid should have stayed home to deal with family issues, Inquirer columnist says.

VT players prepare for rush of emotions Saturday afternoon.

Will Demetrius Jones start for Notre Dame Saturday?

Slate combs college message boards.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette picks the top college football games this year.

Ainge breaks pinkie, will start Saturday.

The AJC’s Tony Barnhart predicts the conference champions.

The Big 12 eyes a return to the top.

The Pac-10 needs to make a BCS stand.

UCLA, Cal poses biggest threat to USC’s Pac-10 supremacy.

Cal’s strategy is simple: get the ball in the hands of DeSean Jackson.

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Well-rounded news…

Trailer up for Steve Carell’s new movie “Dan in Real Life”

MTV bored enough to make reality television show about high school newspaper.

So why are Americans eating so much shrimp?

The producers of Lost sound off on Island’s new residents.

Is there a Magneto movie in the works?

Cinematical misses the pre-Earl Jason Lee.

Yes, I know it’s more than two weeks from the official start of the 2007 college football season but I’ve already printed out the schedule for week 1 and will soon set my TiVo. When we get closer to the start of week one, I’ll pick a game of the week and a list of winners of every game over the weekend to track how I’m doing throughout the season.

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UCLA at STANFORD - 3:30 p.m. 

It’s the official beginning of the Jim Harbaugh/Captain Comeback era at Stanford and this game will prove a very interesting test for the Cardinal, and the Bruins in week one. This is sort of a baptism by fire for Harbaugh, who will be forced to show if he can actually coach or if he’s just good at spreading rumors about Pete Carroll leaving USC and lobbing grenades at this alma mater.

WHO YA GOT? The Ben Olson/Chris Markey combination on offense will be too much for Stanford’s porous defense.. even at home. I’m taking the Bruins.

GEORGIA TECH at NOTRE DAME - 3:30 P.M. 

Charlie Weis is still posturing that he’s not going to start Jimmy Clausen in week 1 against Georgia Tech but my guess is that this game will be the beginning of the Clausen era in South Bend. The Irish defense will need to stop Tashard Choice and the GT running game. On the other side of the ball, with senior quarterback Reggie Ball gone, this will be the first real road test for first year starter Taylor Bennett,

WHO YA GOT? Gotta go with the Irish at home. Even though Notre Dame lost Brady Quinn, Darius Walker, Rhema McKnight and Jeff Samardjiza, none of those losses offset the impact Calvin Johnson leaving GT early will have on that Georgia Tech offense. With CJ, this is probably a Georgia Tech win but without him, I got the Irish by at least 7.

WAKE FOREST at BOSTON COLLEGE - 3:30 p.m. 

Jim Grobe and last year’s Wake Forest team was college football’s best Cinderella story last year and this early season Atlantic division matchup at Chesnut Hill will show if the stage coach turned back into a pumpkin. Both squads return competent signal callers in Riley Skinner and Matt Ryan. This is a huge game for Jim Grobe’s team as far as confidence building is concerned and a win on the road at BC, who is favored to win the Atlantic, would be huge for the Demon Deacons. but I don’t think that’s going to happen.

WHO YA GOT? The BC defense is very tough and very seasoned and I don’t anticipate them having a tough time throwing blitz packages at Riley Skinner and confusing him into throwing a bad interception or two. I’ll take the Eagles by at least 7.

MISSOURI AT ILLINOIS - 3:30 P.M. 

Ron Zook surprised the college football universe last year when he snagged some of the nation’s top recruits, specifically wide receiver Arrelious Benn. I don’t see this game even being close. Missouri is a far better team than is Illinois and I expect Mizzou QB Chase Daniel to have a big game against a weak Illinois secondary. I will be very interested to see if Zook opens up the offense and lets QB Juice Williams air it out to Benn a couple times and give the Illini faithful something to look forward to.

WHO YA GOT? A no-brainer. Mizzou by at least 10.

TENNESSEE at CAL - 8:00 P.M. 

I don’t think I saw a worse performance by a quarterback in a big game last year than Nate Longshore’s tank job at Rocky Top. Defensive coordinator John Chavis called one of the best defensive games of the year last year confused and frustrated Longshore and stopped future first-rounder Marshawn Lynch essentially snubbing the running back’s Heisman hopes in week one. Back for the Golden Bears are Longshore, running back Justin Forsett and wide receiver DeSean Jackson. This year’s game could make for one of the year’s best.

WHO YA GOT? This is one of those games that you hate to prognosticate because you know whoever you pick, you have a substantial chance of being wrong. I’m still going with Cal at home. I think what happened last year was a total embarrassment to Tedford and to the program and they’ll be hungry to exact some revenge. It will be a very tight game could be decided by 3 points or less.

FLORIDA STATE AT CLEMSON - 8:00 P.M.

When I interviewed Bobby Bowden a couple months ago, he cited the week 1 game at his son Tommy and the Clemson Tigers at Death Valley as the most important game of the year for his ‘Noles. And it is. Forget that FSU opens the season against a conference foe on the road, the game will be a crucial game for Drew Weatherford/Xavier Lee/Jimbo Fisher and the Florida State offense. Equally as important is the FSU defense who will be handed the dubious task of stopping James Davis and C.J. Spiller, one of the nation’s best running tandems.

WHO YA GOT? Feeling pretty good about Florida State in this one. Clemson starts its third quarterback in as many years and lost a good portion of its defense and won’t be able to match the firepower that Florida State will bring with them from Tallahassee.

I have officially joined the TiVo revolution. While it is an unbelievable technology, it will not official begin paying dividends in my life until football season where I’ll be able to TiVo games that I won’t be able to watch. An added bonus is that I get to watch shows that I used to watch in college that I am now too old to stay up for (i.e. Conan). So far, I’m very impressed.

__________

No, seriously… 

A chinese couple have tried to name their baby ‘@’.

A man in Muncie is my new hero.

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Fanhouse’s Big East preview.

• Impact freshmen.
  
• Top 5 players
• Coaches on the hot seat.
• Five biggest games
• Most underrated.

Georgia Tech QB punks defensive end in practice.

The Philadelphia Daily News’ Les Bowen says it may not be time to give up the Eagles defense — yet.

Eagles guard Shawn Andrews is having ankle problems and defensive end Jerome McDougle is out for the year — again, securing his place as one of the biggest first-round busts in franchise history.

The Washington Post’s Michael Wilbon on gambling in sports.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Ron Cook thinks the Steelers must start 2nd year Santonio Holmes.

The Detroit Red Wings have unveiled their new sweaters — which look just like the old ones.

Chris Leak is strugg-a-ling to make the Bears roster.

Jon Gruden is tired of talking about Chris Simms.

SI writer Cory McCartney breaks down the nation’s top rushing tandems. 

More of ESPN’s breakdown of the top conferences in college football.

• Pac 10 vs. Big Ten
• SEC vs. Big 12

Pat Forde says SEC is king.

New York Red Bulls player blogs for the Times about meeting Beckham.

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Apparently there’s a fetus on facebook.

Slate’s Jack Shafer thinks newspaper need to admit more of their factual errors in print.

Edward Norton talks to the Los Angeles Times about his Incredible Hulk script.

Entertainment Weekly reviews the Seth Rogan-penned, Judd Apatow-produced Superbad.

       RESTAURANT WARS 

As the contestants stated, Restaurant Wars has become one of the most anticipated challenge and last night may have shed some very interesting light on how the judges are viewing the chefs this season. It appears as if they have adapted a “what have you done for me lately?” kind of attitude and are taking the chefs on a challenge-by-challenge basis. I think this is the wrong way to go and ultimately will leave us with another lackluster winner (sorry Ilan) at the end of the season. Judging by the previews, I think one of the heavy-hitters (see: Casey, C.J., Tre, Brian) could be leaving us next week.

This week (SPOILER ALERT) no one went home though there were some candidates for knife-packing. Howie, once again, continues to show that he knows everything and no one else knows anything. Like last week with his Cuban, Howie ran his mouth about how he knew how to cook risotto and has cooked it 100 times and proceeds, in true Howie fashion, to butcher it. It’s time to send Howie home and be done with his bullheaded stupidity once and for all.

Sara continues to ride the middle of the road and goes out of her way to fly under the radar. I don’t think she’s going home next week though she is clearly the least talented chef still in the competition at this point.

Dale’s choice of scented candles for his team’s restaurant almost cost him last night. But the chefs got a hold of themselves and remembered that this is Top Chef not Top Design and spared Dale. Likewise for Brian who ran the front of the house about as badly as you could have. The secret dinner guest/blogger took a shot at his sweatiness and on behalf of sweaty dudes everywhere, I feel ya Malarkey. Walk it off.

Tre burned and then inexplicably served potatoes that he knew were burned and it probably should have cost him last night. I think he’s one of the strongest chefs in the competition but has to be much smarter about what he’s putting on the plate.

Some other takes on this week’s episode:

• Anthony Bourdain
  
• Gail Simmons
• Ted Allen
• Huffington Post blogger Jane McGivney
• EW’s Gregory Kirschling

Currently loving Common’s new record, Finding Forever. Simply put the guy is one of the most clever and talented lyricists in history. The beginning of the record reminds me of the Black Star and Common’s collaboration with Lilly Allen is amazing and infectious and as always Kanye’s appearances on this record are memorable and bump-worthy.

Monday I mentioned seeing the trailer for The Kingdom and being really excited about it. One of the other trailers before the Bourne Ultimatum was for Ridley Scott’s American Gangster staring Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe and… Common. Check it out.

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No, seriously…

A 10-year-old accidentally locked himself in a gun safe at a Massachusetts’ Sam’s Club.

An Australian cattle rancher spent a week in a tree after falling off his horse in a swamp chock-full of alligators.

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ESPN has launched bracket-style tournament to decide which conference will be strongest in 2007.

• ACC vs. Big 12
• Pac 10 vs. Mountain West
• WAC vs. Conference USA
• WAC vs. SEC

SI writer says USC freshman Joe McKnight is the second coming of Reggie Bush.

Fanhouse’s Pac 1o preview.

• Coaches on the hot seat.
• The teams not named USC or Cal.
  
• Top 5 games.
  
• Most underrated players.

A member of the Rutger’s Women’s Basketball team is suing Don Imus for defamation of character. This woman doesn’t have a snowball’s chance of winning this suit because her attorneys will have a very difficult time showing that she was specifically damaged by a comment that was made about a group of individuals, comments where no one was named individually. It would be the equivalent of someone saying that all Destin Log reporters were illiterate and possibly in-bred and then me trying to sue that person for defamation. You can’t sue someone for hurting your feelings — at least not yet.

John Smallwood on why it’s ok to overreact about the Eagles’ preseason snooze-fest. The Eagles are apparently not worried.

The New York Times says the greatest threat to Michael Vick’s future in the NFL may not be dogfighting specifically but rather the money he may or may not have gambled on dogfighting.

Giants rookie wideout Steve Smith has the Giants very excited.

Indiana football players will wear a helmet decal and a patch on their jerseys in memory of Coach Hep.

Photo: Sam Riche/ Indianapolis Star

The AJC’s Tony Barnhart lists his must-watch games of 2007.

With a bunch of youth and inexperience, the Orlando Sentinel’s Dave Curtis says Florida will experience some growing pains in ‘07.

Going to Broncos’ games help Darrent Williams’ mother cope with her son’s death.

Ankle problems seem to be plaguing Florida wide receiver Percy Harvin.

An interesting piece on hetero-lifemates, Urban Meyer and Billy Donovan, which features this photograph:

Whoever pranked neanderthal tight end Jeremy Shockey is officially my new hero.

Dan Patrick is back on ESPN radio for the next three days and word is Colin Cowherd will not be taking his place.

Peter King’s All-Future team.

Apparently there was a confrontation at a UCLA pick-up game between Baron Davis and USC FRESHMAN O.J. Mayo. You don’t think this kid’s going to be a total headache, do you Tim Floyd? Good luck.

The AJC’s Terence Moore thinks if Michael Vicks takes a plea deal, he’ll likely be banned from the NFL for a long time.

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Well-rounded news… 

An interesting take on journalistic objectivity and politics.

Peer-to-peer file sharing network Lime Wire appears to be going legit.

My So-Called Life movie not likely, says Claire Danes.

The Knocked Up dvd will hit stores Sept. 25 with three editions.

Daft Punk is looking to release a live CD.

Site of Coachella 300 years overdue for a massive earthquake.

Checking in a little late today as things are busy here at the Log. I didn’t watch a single minute of last night’s All-Star Game instead opting for almost three hours of Kathy Griffin’s My Life on the D-List (this should indicate my level of hatred towards Major League Baseball and all baseball related activities). Griffin’s show does an incredible job of making its otherwise unlikable star incredibly likable. The opposite can be saud for Bravo’s new Paula Abdul-based reality show, “Hey Paula.” I would imagine this show appeals to the same people that loved the weekly trainwreck “Being Bobby Brown.” All I needed to see was an ridiculously over-medicated Paula Abdul browbeat her two personal assistants about not packing the right sweatpants for a flight out of LAX. Did I really need another reason not to like Paula Abdul? Well now I have a weekly reminder of the dangers of popping prescription drugs like chicklets. If you watch that show regularly and love it, I’d suggest meeting with a therapist.

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No, seriously…

A city in China has set up a bounty for dead flies.

A home in Massachusetts where vultures roost year-round is for sale, can’t imagine why.

I don’t even have the words to describe this story.

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In the biggest news of the day, the Oklahoma football team will forfeit the entire 2005 season due to NCAA-placed sanctions on the program stemming from the dismal of starting quarterback Rhett Bomar and O-lineman J.D. Quinn from the team for getting paid to not work at a Norman, Okla. car dealership.

The head of the NFL players union is making $6.7 million last year and is still not afraid to break a few necks.

The Sabres are in the works to play an outdoor game at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

A great piece from the Chicago Sun-Times’ Greg Couch on the night that ended Tank Johnson’s career with the Bears.

Michigan ends its 13-year marriage to Nike; will wear Adidas starting in ‘08.

College football coaches are gearing up for the start of summer practice by tweaking and finalizing their playbooks.

The Baton Rouge Advocate’s Scott Rabalais on the comments made by LSU’s Les Miles about the Pac-10 and USC. Here’s what I don’t like that college football fans everywhere do. You can’t compare games and outcomes. You can’t compare what happened when USC played Notre Dame and when LSU played Notre Dame. A team can be completely different depending on when you played them. It’s hard not to wonder what would have happened to Michigan State (and to its former head coach John L. Smith) if they didn’t completely fold against Notre Dame in the 4th quarter. Because LSU beat Notre Dame by a similar margin as USC does not mean they were as good as USC was last year because they just weren’t. USC was one brain fart against UCLA from winning another title. And as for Les Miles’ wish to play the Trojans in the National Championship game.. be careful what you wish for, coach.

A well-done piece in the L.A. Times by Sam Farmer on the lives led by NFL head coaches and the effects of the job on their families.

Did you know…. Clippers star Elton Brand was one of the producers of Werner Herzog’s new flick “Rescue Dawn.”

Stewart Mandel’s best and worst coaches in college football.

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Well-rounded news…

The FCC hears from parties on both sides of the aisle over the proposed Sirus/XM Radio merger. There is no conceivable way that this merger can be good for consumers though I wouldn’t mind having all of the NFL games and NFL radio on the XM radio in my car. I’d take some minor price gouging and price fixing for that. Gotta give some some to get some.

Stereogum has recruited some great acts to cover the songs on Radiohead’s classic “OK Computer,” which celebrates its 10 year anniversary this year. Featured are acts like John Vanderslice and Cold War Kids. Oh did I mention, the MP3’s are free.

A pretty illuminating interview with ‘Order of the Phoenix’ screenwriter Michael Goldenberg.

Time’s look at this summer’s best movie marketing ploys.

Wired’s Game Life blog kills any excitement I had about the upcoming Bourne Conspiracy game.

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Best stories of the day

Evel Knievel and Kanye West are attempting to settle a multimillion dollar trademark infringement lawsuit stemming from West’s 2006 video “Touch the Sky” where the rapper played a character named Evel Kanyevel.

Metallica frontman James Hetfield was detained by British authorities at London’s Luton Airport prior to the band’s Live Earth appearance. It is believed he was stopped and questioned because of his “Taliban-like beard.” In related news, drummer Lars Ulrich overheard a baggage handler whistling “Enter Sandman” and sued him.